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Tuesday, April 11, 2017

It’s a simple premise—people gather together to sit in a circle, read poetry aloud to each other, and talk about the poems, all with the accompaniment of a seasoned poet. For many years, New Jersey educators have been doing just that: each spring, small groups of school teachers, librarians, counselors and administrators, along with experienced Dodge Poets, have gathered at schools, libraries, museums, and other venues around the state to take part in this program. And while it is straightforward, Spring & Fountain is an example of how, sometimes, the simplest actions have the deepest effects.

Spring & Fountain participants use poetry to flex their imaginations, open their creative channels, practice deep listening, and cultivate mindfulness. They also use this time to relax and simply enjoy poetry, without analyzing it to death or applying a judgmental right-or-wrong attitude towards it. With this approach, poetry becomes a self-care tool, a path towards empathy and connection.

This spring, we are expanding the reach of Spring & Fountain to people who can’t join the traditional in-person groups. Spring & Fountain Online will bring a week of daily e-mails to educators around the country. The e-mails will include:

A “Giving Voice” packet of 20+ poems

Daily activities and exercises aimed to help participants incorporate poetry into their lives

Videos from the Dodge Poetry Festival archive

We encourage participants to make the program your own; we will send the e-mails and suggestions, but it’s completely up to you to decide how you wish to use the tools.

Books You Might Like

THE TUDOR VENDETTA by C.W. Gortner:
Travel back to London in 1558 and spend some time with Queen Elizabeth's intimate spy, Brendan Prescott. Whether he's investigating an attempted poisoning or searching for the Queen's favored lady in waiting, Brendan constantly solves mysteries and works hard to protect the throne. When he discovers that the destruction of his good reputation and the demise of his Queen are on the horizon, he must race against the clock to save their livelihoods.
SAVING GRACE by Jane Green:
Jane Green is back with another powerful and riveting novel about a woman whose life begins to unravel in the face of infidelity and addiction. Although many people view Grace and Ted Chapman as the perfect literary power couple, what lies below the surface is less than ideal. As Grace's marriage and sanity begin to crumble, will she find a way to save herself before she hits rock bottom?